Last army watchtowers to be demolished

The last of the British army watchtowers are to be demolished today in South Armagh.

The move is the latest in a number of operations, brought on by the IRA's decommissioning in August, that will phase out military presence in Northern Ireland and return the province to a state of normalisation.

The dismantling the five military observation towers on Camlough Mountain, on Jonesborough Hill, which has three, and Croslieve Hill will see the hilltop sites returned to greenfield status as soon as possible, with only an emergency services radio mast remaining on Croslieve Hill.

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the sangers on top of each watchtower will be removed by RAF Chinook helicopter over the next few days.

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern welcomed the demolition of the military observation posts and said that it was "yet another tangible demonstration of the transformed security situation in Northern Ireland."

The Minister continued: "Their removal, as part of an ongoing process of security normalisation, is an important step in giving a fresh start to these communities in moving away from the shadow of conflict and towards an open and prosperous future."

Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader, and Newry & Armagh MLA, Danny Kennedy, has today said the removal of the last British army watchtowers in South Armagh as ‘premature in the extreme’ and described it as an attempt to create "‘mood music" in aid of the Prime Minister’s visit on Thursday.

Mr Kennedy said: “I have repeatedly expressed serious concerns at the removal of these watchtowers and feel it is premature in the extreme. There is still a significant level of threat posed by dissident republicans and feel the government really has no excuse to continue in the manner they are progressing.

The UUP Deputy leader continued: “This is a cynical exercise by the government in advance of the visit by the Prime Minister and Bertie Ahern on Thursday. It owes more to creating ‘mood music’ rather than defending the lives of those in my constituency of Newry and Armagh and indeed, in Northern Ireland as a whole”.

However, Sinn Féin MP for Newry and Armagh, Conor Murphy has today welcomed the beginning of the demilitarization of the remaining watchtowers and called for the operation to be completed as quickly as possible.

He called for the completion of the process as "speedily as possible" and for the land to be returned to the local communities.

Eight military observation posts have already been removed since 1999 and the number of troops in the province are set to be reduced from 9,000 to 5,000 by August next year.

The move comes to mark the end of 'Operation Banner,' the army's longest running operation, which has lasted throughout the troubles in Northern Ireland for the past 35 years and will come to an official end on August 1 2007.

(EF/SP)